hereby determine and conclude, that if any divisions already made and accorded by either of the said townships do cross the said line, that then it shall stand and be in force according to the former intents and purposes of the said towns granting them—the marshes formerly agreed upon excepted; and that no town in either jurisdiction shall hereafter exceed, but contain themselves within the said lines expressed. In witness whereof we, the commissioners of both jurisdictions, do by these presents indented set our hands and seals, the ninth day of the fourth month in the 16th year of our sovereign lord, King Charles, and in the year of Our Lord, 1640. WILLIAM BRADFORD, Governor JOHN ENDICOTT EDWARD WINSLOW ISRAEL STOUGHTON The extended New Plymouth patent having been taken out in the name of William Bradford, as in trust, ran in these terms: “To him, his heirs, associates, and assigns.” But the number of freemen having now greatly increased, and several townships being established and settled in several quarters such as New Plymouth, Duxbury, Scituate, Taunton, Sandwich, Yarmouth, Barnstable, Marshfield, and not long after Seekonk,—afterwards called at the wish of the inhabitants Rehoboth,—and Nauset, it was desired by the Court that William Bradford should make surrender of the same into their hands. This he willingly did. In these two years they had several letters from England, asking them to send some one over to end the business of the accounts with Mr. Sherley, who now professed he could not make them up without help from them, especially from Mr. Winslow. They had serious thoughts of it, and the majority of the partners here believed it best to send; but they had formerly written such bitter and threatening letters that Mr. Winslow was neither willing to go himself, nor that any other of the partners should do so; for he was convinced that if any of them went they would be arrested, and an action for such a sum laid upon them that they would be unable to procure bail, and would consequently be imprisoned, and that then the partners there could force them to do whatever they wished. Or else they might be brought into trouble by the archbishop’s means, as things then were over there. But though they were much inclined to send, and Captain Standish was willing to go, they decided, since they could not agree about it and it was of such importance, and the consequences might prove dangerous, to ask Mr. John Winthrop’s advice. It seemed the more suitable because Mr. Andrews had in many letters acquainted him with the differences between them, and appointed him his assign to receive his part of the debt; and though they declined to pay anything as a debt till the controversy was ended, they had deposited £110 in money in his hands, for Mr. Andrews, to be paid to him in part as soon as he should come to any agreement with the rest. But Mr. Winthrop was of Mr. Winslow’s mind, and dissuaded them from